"May I ask what Mr. Qin is interested in?" Old Master Xie asked.

The young man seemed to point at something in the catalog and said with a smile, "It's this one."

Old Master Xie also laughed, "I guessed that you'd be interested in this."

Gu Qin overheard their entire conversation, feeling a growing sense of unease. She didn't know who this young man was or if he was a cultivator. But if he was a regular person, she should be able to tell. If he was a cultivator, she should be able to sense it with her Heavenly Eye.

As the auction continued, the sleeve cudgel was nearing its turn. The host introduced it, "This next item is a sleeve cudgel, a weapon. Ancient people liked such cold weapons, and this one is made of bronze, making it a valuable antique. For this charity auction, the starting price is fifty thousand yuan."

A beautiful woman in a cheongsam brought out the tray with the sleeve cudgel. As soon as it appeared, Gu Qin's expression changed. Sure enough, it was this item. The yin aura was frightening. Even in her past life, she had never seen such an intense yin aura. Most importantly, the moment the sleeve cudgel appeared, Gu Qin felt a hostile aura directed at her. Instantly, the yin aura surged toward her.

In this world, there were many types of qi, including yang qi, yin qi, evil qi, auspicious qi, and dragon qi. Yang qi was gentle, appearing like white mist. Yin qi was grayish mist. Evil qi was black. Auspicious qi was tinged with a golden glow, while dragon qi was dazzling white. The yin aura was a combination of black evil qi and gray yin qi.

The sleeve cudgel was almost entirely evil qi, with less yin qi. This indicated that the yin qi had gradually transformed into evil qi. The concentration of yin qi was very high, and prolonged exposure could lead to illness or misfortune.

Gu Qin prepared to defend against the attack of the yin qi, chanting spells and forming hand seals. But before the yin qi could attack, it suddenly changed direction and returned to the sleeve cudgel. Gu Qin's movements were too late. The yin qi was now calm, and she didn't need to do anything further. Attacking it now would only hurt innocent people.

Many people were interested in the antique, and Gu Qin raised her paddle.

The host smiled, "Miss, you bid fifty-five thousand yuan. Does anyone else wish to raise the bid?"

An older man bid sixty thousand yuan.

The host continued, "Bid sixty thousand yuan by Mr. Thirty-Seven. Does anyone else wish to raise the bid?"

Gu Qin was surprised. This man was also after the sleeve cudgel. She raised her paddle.

"Miss Nine bids eighty thousand yuan..."

Three people were now bidding: Miss Nine (Gu Qin), Mr. Eighteen (the young man), and Mr. Thirty-Seven (the older man).

The price climbed to two million yuan. A bronze antique valued at one hundred and fifty thousand yuan was already considered expensive. Beyond that, it lost its collection value. Gu Qin believed Mr. Thirty-Seven was a regular person. Even if he bought the item, it would be a curse. He likely didn't know it was an attack magic tool. Bronze antiques were common in antique markets, so why specifically this sleeve cudgel?

Gu Qin raised her paddle again. "Miss Nine bids two hundred and ten thousand yuan..."

"Mr. Thirty-Seven bids two hundred and twenty thousand yuan..."

"Mr. Eighteen bids two hundred and fifty thousand yuan."

Gu Qin clenched her teeth and raised her paddle again. "Miss Nine bids two hundred and sixty thousand yuan..."

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The price soared to three million yuan. Jiang Ni rarely saw Gu Qin so determined about an item and whispered, "Qin Qin, just bid. If money is short, I'll cover it."

Gu Qin had two cards. With the price reaching three million yuan, she had to use the six million yuan set aside for the charity fund. She raised her paddle again. "Miss Nine bids three million and ten thousand yuan..."

"Mr. Thirty-Seven bids three million and twenty thousand yuan..."

"Mr. Eighteen bids three million and fifty thousand yuan."

Gu Qin gritted her teeth and raised her paddle again. "Miss Nine bids three million and sixty thousand yuan..."

The price finally broke five million yuan. Ji Ziyu and Jiang Ni couldn't help but glance back at the young man bidding against Gu Qin. He was handsome, dressed in casual western attire, exuding an air of confidence and poise.

Noticing their gaze, the young man smiled warmly and nodded. Jiang Ni and Ji Ziyu nodded back, acknowledging him. Turning back, they exchanged glances, both sensing that this young man was no ordinary person. But neither had ever seen him in Mount Dai.

Ji Ziyu whispered to Gu Qin, "Don't worry. We're here. Just focus on bidding."

When the price reached six million yuan, Gu Qin couldn't resist turning back to glance at the young man. She was still curious. This time, she clearly saw his face—handsome, fair-skinned. Their eyes met.

When Qin Xian's gaze met that of the girl, he felt his heart, which had been calm for years, quicken slightly. His chest felt itchy, a sensation he couldn't describe.

Gu Qin clearly sensed that the man froze momentarily upon meeting her gaze. She opened her Heavenly Eye and couldn't read him. She couldn't tell if he was a regular person or a cultivator like her.

She turned back and continued bidding. "Miss Nine bids six million and ten thousand yuan."

No one else raised their paddles. The host exclaimed excitedly, "Six million and ten thousand yuan for the first time, six million and ten thousand yuan for the second time..."

Xie Heping glanced curiously at the young man beside him. "Mr. Qin, why aren't you bidding anymore?"

Qin Xian, looking at the back of the girl in the second row, smiled warmly. "No need to bid anymore."

Finally, Gu Qin won the sleeve cudgel for six million and ten thousand yuan, using up all her charity funds. Originally, she had planned to discuss the charity foundation with Cheng Yixiang later. Now, she realized it wasn't necessary. After paying, she had only one million and nine hundred thousand yuan left. This was far from enough for charitable donations. She would have to save more.

Gu Qin knew that relying solely on savings for charity was insufficient unless she started a business. But she wasn't sure what kind of business she could run, even if she offered fortune-telling and feng shui services.

The auction for the remaining items proceeded quickly. The host said some good-luck words, and the charity auction was a success. Then everyone moved to the third-floor banquet hall.

Gu Qin was concerned about the sleeve cudgel and feared it might harm others. She told Jiang Ni and Ji Ziyu, "Sister Jiang, Mr. Ji, I have some matters to attend to. I'll leave first."

They nodded without pressing further. Gu Qin turned and left, completing the transaction and leaving the hotel.

Gu Qin had left her coat at the hotel. At the lobby, she put on her down jacket and boots. She dared not take the sleeve cudgel home, fearing it might harm her family.

Oddly, while in the venue, the weapon had attacked her. Now, it was calmer. She decided to go to her usual training spot to subdue the weapon. Even if it was a heaven-level magic tool, she wanted to give it a try, as such attack magic tools were rare.

Her current cultivation level was definitely insufficient. She had many talismans at home, drawn recently. Many were intermediate spirit-concentrating talismans. She might try some of these, but she knew her own cultivation level alone wouldn't be enough to subdue it.

Gu Qin knew her limitations. She couldn't read the magic tool, but she knew it had developed a consciousness. That meant it was beyond her current cultivation level and required external assistance. She quietly returned home, changed into winter clothes, and prepared to deal with the sleeve cudgel.

After returning from the auction, Xie Heping had become an old friend of Tian Yinhua, the principal of Daishan No.1 Middle School. He came to Daishan precisely for this auction, and he happened to know the CEO of Baiya, which is why he got two invitation tickets.

As for Mr. Qin, Xie Heping didn't really know his identity; he only knew that he was a friend of Old Master Mu.

Old Master Mu had a very noble and sensitive identity. He was much older than his age suggested, probably over eighty years old. He had dedicated half his life to the country, and now that everyone could live in peace, Old Master Mu had contributed significantly.

With the country stable and peaceful, Old Master Mu gradually had more free time. Even though his position was high, there were fewer things for him to manage daily. He developed other interests, such as collecting antiques, rather than gardening or keeping birds.

Xie Heping was a top expert in antique authentication, having helped Old Master Mu authenticate many antiques. Their friendship grew over time, and Mr. Qin was introduced through Old Master Mu. Xie Heping often saw this young man around Old Master Mu and knew he wasn't related to Old Master Mu but didn't know his exact identity.

When Xie Heping returned, Old Master Mu asked him to bring a few people along, saying they were there to protect him. Xie Heping was initially confused but brought Mr. Qin along. However, he realized that Mr. Qin was likely not there to protect him but for other reasons.

Xie Heping wasn't naive. When Old Master Mu said he was being burdened, Xie Heping understood it was related to Old Master Mu's enemies. Old Master Mu had many enemies, and several years ago, he was attacked and severely injured, only narrowly surviving. This meant Mr. Qin's presence was linked to these enemies.

Xie Heping knew Old Master Mu's identity and understood the risks involved with his position. Those who interacted with him would also be affected.

That evening, Xie Heping took the invitation ticket and asked Mr. Qin if he wanted to join, and surprisingly, Mr. Qin agreed. On the way, some unexpected incidents occurred, where someone tried to attack him, but those nearby quickly resolved the situation. Xie Heping knew those people were there to protect him and recognized them as knowing Mr. Qin. They exchanged a few words and then left.

So when they arrived at the auction, they were late. Although Xie Heping didn't know much about Mr. Qin, he seemed easy to get along with and appeared decisive. Xie Heping noticed Mr. Qin was very interested in the sleeve whip and determined to get it, but he unexpectedly gave up at the last moment.

The young woman turned back, and Xie Heping could see she was almost ready to give up too. Mr. Qin must have noticed too, but he still gave up inexplicably.

After the auction, they were supposed to go to the third-floor banquet hall, but Mr. Qin told Xie Heping, "Old Master Xie, I won't be going up. I have other matters. The danger has been taken care of. Wish you a pleasant trip."

Then Mr. Qin left. Xie Heping didn't even know his name, just that he was surnamed Qin.